* A small, 12-passenger plane with a pilot who was as calm and collected as any we’ve seen hopped us over the water from San Pedro to the mainland. He set the little craft down as gently as if he did it by hand on Corozal’s airstrip. And there they were! The taxi drivers begging for us to “select me!” A nice young man took our bags to his waiting van and asked our destination. “Las Palmas Hotel,” we told him. Some locals aren’t very familiar with that name. It was “Nestor’s Hotel” for over 40 years! However, the property was sold and the new owner totally demolished what was Nestor’s and rebuilt from the ground up the new LAS PALMAS - definitely the nicest place in all of Corozal! (Editor's Note, March 2007: Las Palmas is now for sale.) Since this was a rather “impromptu trip” for us, I had e-mailed Charlie Rublee, inquiring about availability, prices, etc. for March 1-7. We were told they had a room available, that the 7th night was free if you booked a week’s stay, and were given a brief description of amenities and location. However, there was no definite confirmation made on either his part or mine because we hadn’t made up our minds whether or not to spend an extra week and stay in this little mainland town.
So - when our taxi pulled into Las Palmas' walled courtyard and the driver took out our bags and set them down, the couple standing in the courtyard looked a bit bewildered. I announced our names and Charlie said, “I really didn’t expect you!” ( I’m sure he gets many inquiries and since we made no definite confirmation, he dropped us without further expectations. ) “But! We are happy to see you! Welcome!” And welcomed we were!
“You can have our best room - #1!” he said, pointing to the first room on the ground level with the #1 above the door. Our bags were deposited in the room, and we went to their office a few doors away. I paid him cash. Charlie adds a 5% surcharge for credit card payments which I wished to avoid. “Do you mind Belizean money in change?” he asked. In Belize, US dollars, Belizean dollars, traveler's checks all spend the same! Very convenient. And with the exchange rate of $2BZ to $1US it is very easy to figure the price of anything. Everything is priced in Belizean dollars un- less specifically noted to be in US dollars.
Charlie handed us a key to our room and the remote to the TV, and said there were 77 channels available. In our room, he explained the unique shower hot water system, and the air conditioner, and, since there wasn’t one in the room, said he’d get us a refrigerator. Which he did and set it up in no time.
Everything is spanking new at Las Palmas. The furniture, the bedding and linens, the walls still unadorned with pictures, and the tiles, immaculate!
Las Palmas is a total delight! If you go to Corozal, you can never go wrong staying at Las Palmas. As advertised at www.nestorshotel.com, it is the best bargain in Corozal and northern Belize. The hosts, Charlie and Marina, and their two delightful sons, Anthony and Charlie, Jr. are gracious, helpful, friendly and most accommodating!
The hotel is located in the heart of Corozal town. Even so, the traffic noise was never a bother, but the convenience to anything and everything in town was a plus. We didn’t rent a car (a major expense in Belize!) so we were happy to be within walking distance of anything and everything!
In the courtyard is a palapa-roofed aviary with bright green parrots making their presence known. I love birds and went to investigate. Anthony, being the friendly little guy that he is, let one bird step onto his hand and then gave it to me. There are four birds. Two are friendly to strangers like me, and the other two would just as soon bite! But every morning, early, they make you feel like you are in the jungle. They sing loudly and proudly and it gives such a great ambiance to the hotel. They are a favorite of all the guests!
Las Palmas Hotel is only a couple years new. There are five stories with at least three of them ready with rooms for guests. Each room faces the outside, front or back, with breezy walkways all around and open staircases. T he thing you will notice is that this place is probably the cleanest hotel you could ever want to stay in. You could always tell when the cleaning lady got done with your room because it smelled soooo good!
She even swabbed the tile walkway in front of the rooms! The doors were wiped down so there was no dust on them. Once a week, Charlie and his work men power wash the concrete courtyard, so there is no dust, no bugs, and not a bit of trash to be seen anywhere. If you’ve been in Belize, you know that trash is a big problem. It’s everywhere. But not at Las Palma’s.
The courtyard has a canvas-covered pavilion with a dozen or more umbrella-topped-tables with chairs where one can enjoy dining or reading or visiting. Charlie has maintained his cook and plans to open a restaurant in the near future. She prepares meals at your request, breakfast, lunch or dinner. The kitchen was available to us, to use the microwave, to get fresh water from the big blue Crystal Water container, to use the refrigerator if need be, and to borrow a knife or plate if need be.
Deluxe rooms with two double beds are only $50US per night. Rooms with one double bed & one single bed are $40US and a one-bed room is $35US plus the 9% tax.
If you have a car, you may leave it in their secure, off-street parking area in the walled courtyard. The gates are locked at night. To enter, ring the buzzer and someone will let you in.
Corozal has a wonderful farmer’s market where we bought fruit to enjoy. We sat at the tables under the canopy daily, cut up our fruit and enjoyed it immensely. We bought grapefruit for 10¢US each, pineapple for US$1.50, bananas, 10 for US.50¢, big papaya for US.75¢, Vendors come to your door if they know you like their product. We got homemade, no sugar, delicious coconut ice cream for US$2.50/container right at the hotel gate. On the street we bought fresh homemade coconut tarts from another vendor.
The farmer’s market also has fresh fish and meats of every description, some very good cuts for $3.50BZ/lb. Restaurant meals can be plentiful or not so good, depending on where you eat. Many gringos go to PATTI'S BISTRO, which Charlie recommended to us our first night, and where we dined several times. It’s a small place, but the food is excellent. Service is good, and fast for Belize! We both dined on great fish fillets in a coconut curry sauce with fresh vegetables, rice and salad, and pineapple juice to drink for $15US and were well satisfied. Another time we had a baked chicken dinner for $8.75US for the two of us!
Zettina’s on the second level over the farmer’s market serves breakfast and lunch until 5:30 p.m. and has a good menu. We had a fish fillet meal or a steak fillet meal with fry jacks and a soda each for $7.25 for all!
There are several Chinese-food restaurants, plus many others we didn’t try. There’s a great rotisserie-chicken place where you can get one off the spit to eat there or take with you for $18BZ whole, $9BZ for a half, or $4.75BZ for a quarter chicken and it was tasty! A “taco-factory” on one street sells them hot off the grill by the pound. I got a quarter of a pound for US.20¢ and got about 20 delicious 4-inch tacos - the best tasting tacos ever!
The stores in Corozal carry everything you could ever hope to buy anywhere else. We were quite amazed at the availability, from nice furniture, to hardware, to auto supplies, to groceries, to dry goods, to sundry items, and one store was well stocked with home schooling supplies! We never did find a bakery and missed that because we really liked the great bakery on Caye Caulker and found a good one in San Pedro.
Belizeans are as friendly as all the books say they are! Everyone goes out of their way to say hello - especially in Corozal. We didn’t see many ex-pats, but those we met invited us to their homes and we got some firsthand information about living in Corozal. We did meet Charlotte of Charlotte’s Web Internet Cafe and she graciously showed us around town and what was available for renting on a longer-term basis.
On Sunday there was to be a parade - a victory parade for the UDP - the United Democratic Party - which won a wide sweep of municipalities victory over their opponents. It was to start at 11 a.m. We walked to Central Park “to get a good seat.” There is a nice park in Corozal. We seemed to be early. Only a few others - all Belizeans - no gringos like us! - were there waiting. This parade was truly on Belizean time - no hurry! At about 11:50 a.m. a motorcycle-riding policeman arrived leading a long line of trucks loaded with UDP party supporters in their red shirts, waving the flag of Belize and/or their party, and joyously shouting out their victory cry.
In 20 minutes it was over and everyone headed to the Beach Park where a victory party continued - free food, and beer for $1BZ! It seemed that all of Corozal turned out for that! There was music, lots of tacos, and much drinking as witnessed the horrible mess of plates and cups on the ground afterwards. As we walked along the bay later that evening, we wondered who would clean up the mess! Next day it was back to the lovely Corozal Bay Beach Park.
Corozal is a place you can quickly fall in love with. In a week’s time, we were entranced by the friendliness of the people, the Corozaleno hospitality, and the quiet, relaxing atmosphere that permeates this little northern Belize town.
Back at home, we feel a sense of longing for the little country on the Caribbean Sea. It is a healthful place to visit, to live, or retire to. Stress levels go way down. The sun provides plenty of vitamin D, and the food is organic and plentiful. We are already planning our next trip. Maybe this time we’ll enjoy the breeze, banana trees and Belize for a much longer stay.
Sharon Boniek, Holly, Michigan, March 2006
* CASABLANCA BY THE SEA out Consejo way doesn’t get as many guests as it deserves, but the views of Chetumal across Corozal Bay are terrific. The young women from Eastern Europe -- employed as dancers at the casinos in the Free Zone -- who come here to sunbathe are also a nice addition to the scenery. This little 10-room bayfront hotel is a great place to just relax and do nothing. Rooms are around US$75 double, less in summer. Consejo Village; tel. 501/423-1018; www.casablanca-bythesea.com I stayed a couple of nights at COROZAL BAY INN. With its 10 thatch cabanas on a sandy bit of bayfront acreage, it’s as nice as ever, one of the most appealing hotels in the North. Rates are around US$80 to $90 double. Almond Dr., South end of Corozal Town, next to Tony’s; tel. 501/422-2691; www.corozalbayinn.com. If you're looking for a place to stay while building your house or looking for real estate, PARADISE BAY VILLAS could work for you. These six apartments, formerly part of Corozal Bay Inn, have been upgraded some and repainted. Fully furnished, two-bedroom units here go for under US$700 a month, plus utilities. They’re not air-conditioned, though. 7 Almond Dr., Corozal Town; tel. 501/422-0209. The budget-level Nestor's Hotel has been totally renovated and rebuilt, moving the whole property upmarket. It’s now called LAS PALMAS, with rooms going for US$40 to $50 a night, double. 123 5th Ave., Corozal Town; tel. 501/422--0196; www.laspalmashotelbelize.com Several hotels in Corozal remain for sale, including Hok’ol K’in Guest House. Lan Sluder, December 2005
* Your website was very helpful. Here is some feedback. COPA BANANA: charming owners who'll arrange for pick-up in Chetumal for US$40 .Luxurious accommodations at bargain price. Hidden Valley: extremely well managed resort with wonderful hiking and birding. Count at least an hour on a bad road from the Western Highway. The road to Caracol particularly the last stretch which has been paved is better. Banana Beach in San Pedro: good value,good food but " tour guides" in Monkey Business Travel Agency are unKnoledgable, unhelpful only interested in selling tours! Take snorkel excursion with Lil Alfonso - very helpful personal approach, one of the best snorkel experiences for us. Watch for agressive time share marketing under the guise of tourist info on San Pedro waterfront. Great House: another one of your excellent tips! Jaguar Reef: overpriced, poor service and only fair food - eat next door at Turtle- a truly outstanding property in all regards. At the other end of the scale Tipple Tree Baya in Hopkins is excellent value in the budget category, be sure to reserve ahead.We were impressed by the warm welcome we received almost everywhere starting with immigration on the road to Corozal from Chetumal and on the bus most restaurants and hotels as well as on the beach and in town - quite a change from much of the rest of Central America. HF Gramm, January 2005
* COROZAL DINING The food scene in Coro hasn’t changed much, except Cafe Kela has closed. Tony’s is still pretty good (fajitas are the way to go here), and the seaside setting is pleasant. We arre saddened to hear of the death in August of long-time owner Tony Castillo. Next door, Corozal Bay Inn’s outdoor restaurant gets a good bit of business for drinks and meals, and there’s a new waterfall backdrop for the restaurant. One of my favorite joints, Cactus Plaza, on 6th St. South has renovated and added another floor and appears, unfortunately, to be moving more towards being a bar and nightclub than a restaurant. My family and I had a huge, filling dinner with multiple appetizers, drinks and main dishes for almost nothing at Patti’s Bistro, next to the undertakers. But don’t worry -- the food is good and a real bargain. Belizean beans and rice with chicken, pork or beef and potato salad and fried plaintains is just US$3; a baked chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and vegetables ins only US$4, and a slice of Caye Lime pie is just a buck. Out in Consejo, Smugger’s Den still gets some activity on weekend nights.
Lan Sluder, July 2004
(updated November 2004) COROZAL LODGING * Yes, you’ll find a few changes in the lodging end in Corozal Town: Central Guesthouse has closed. Hok’ol K’in Guesthouse, TJ’s and the Hotel Maya are up for sale for a pretty penny. TJ’s is asking US$399,000 , and Hok’ol K’in has been reduced to around half a mil. By the way, Hok'ol K'in has upscaled three of its rooms with A/C (they now go for US$57.50 double), and all rooms now have cable TV. The room that was a lounge is now a guest room for families, with a queen, a double and a set of bunk beds. It goes for US$75. The new Las Palmas is already for sale, at well over US$2 million.
With the death of Tony Castillo, I don’t know exactly what will happen with the estate, but Tony’s Inn has been at least informally on the market for several millions. Rosita May of Maya’s also has a campground now. Nestor’s has changed hands again, and the rooms are undergoing a major renovation. I’m told a nice young couple now owns it, and we wish them well, but frankly, I don’t quite get it. You’re not going to be able to ask much more for rooms at that location in the middle of town, away from the water. But the renovations will be an improvement, and maybe the new Nestor's will work. I also don’t quite get the upscale B&B at the South End, Villa Americas, with rates of US$315 a night in-season -- who in the world would pay prices like that in Corozal?! Lan Sluder, July 2004 Also in the same South End area as Tony’s, (sometimes called Gringo Trail or Gringo Road), there are several welcome additions to the lodging inventory in Corozal: COROZAL BAY INN: Almond Dr., P.O. Box 1, Corozal Town; tel. 501-422-2691, fax 800-836-9188 in the U.S. and Canada; e-mail relax@corozalbayinn.com; www.corozalbayinn.com. Rates: US$80 double (with possible discounts off-season) plus 7% tax. V and MC accepted. Corozal Bay Inn has been around for several years, but owners Doug and Marie Podzun sold their original funky units (now renovated, called Hotel Paradise, and offered up by the new owner, locally known as “Herman the German," as mostly weekly or longer-term accommodations, at affordable rates) and have created a charming new cabaña colony by the bay. Doug and Maria -- she’s originally from Mexico, and he’s a Canadian by birth of German heritage who moved to Belize with his family when he was a youngster -- have built 10 attractive cabañas on the water. The cabañas, painted in colorful tropical pastels, are surprisingly spacious and have bay thatch roofs. While most of them are situated to catch the breeze from the bay, they do have air-conditioning (though on a hot day the A/C units may struggle to cool all that open space under the thatch), tile baths, two comfortable beds in each cabaña, and 27” TVs with cable. Two units at the back connect, making them ideal for families. Doug had several hundred dump truck loads of sand brought in and created a tropical beach on the bay. There is a seawall, but you’ll love the water view and the concrete pier. You can sit by the pool, sip something cold in the redone outdoor restaurant and bar and, if you have a wireless laptop, check your e-mail, as Corozal Bay Inn boasts one of the only hotspots in Belize. All in all, the Podzuns have turned their place into one of the nicest spots to stay in northern Belize. Lan Sluder, July 2004
COPA BANANA GUESTHOUSE BY THE BAY: 409 Bay Shore Drive., P.O. Box 226, Corozal Town, tel. 501-422-0284, fax 422-2710; e-mail relax@copabanana.bz; www.copabanana.bz. Rates: US$55 double/US$350 week, plus 9% tax. V and MC accepted. If you’re in town shopping for property around Corozal, or staying awhile enroute farther south, you couldn’t do much better than this guesthouse, new in early 2004. The rates are affordable, you can cook meals in the common kitchen, complete with dishware, stove, coffeemaker, microwave and fridge. The two banana-yellow ranch-style concrete houses, with a total of five guestrooms (some with queen beds, some with two twins) are across the street from the water. The house where my family and I stayed had three bedrooms, each with en suite bath and cable TV, plus a modern kitchen, dining area and living room, so guests have private bedrooms but share the common space. As it happened, there were no other guests when we stayed there, so in effect we had our own private house. There’s no pool, and you’re not directly on the water, but there is a view of the bay. Water toys such as rafts and innertubes are available for guests. The owners have added a long-term rental apartment with a view of the bay. Lan Sluder, July 2004 (revised March 2007)
* COPA BANANA
Opened January 2004: PO Box 226 Corozal Town Phone: 501-422-0284 Fax: 501-422-2710 Email: relax@copabanana.bz Web: www.copabanana.bz
I stayed at the Copa Banana, in the Nautical suite, last week for one night. The decor is perfect, and the hosts were terrific. The front porch with it's seaview was a delight on a warm night. Each suite has cable TV and A/C. The well appointed kitchen was well thought out with the necessary appliances and cookware. There is even complimentary juice in the fridge. The Copa Banana is located on Almond St. about a quarter mile from Tony's. The price is a good value for the rooms and conveniences nearby. Chuck and Karen Montag, Republic, Missouri, March 2004
* International Cozy Corners Guesthouse, 2nd Street North (P.O. Box 283), Corozal Town; e-mail and telephone should be available soon. This new guesthouse in Corozal Town looks like a winner. When renovation of the first level of a large yellow concrete house at the north edge of the main part of town is completed in late summer 2001, the hotel will have three good-sized guest rooms, each with private bath, air conditioning and tile floors. There is a small swimming pool in front and attractively landscaped gardens in back, adjoining a small restaurant and bar. The guest floor also has a large commons area. This place reminds me of the Aguada Hotel near San Ignacio, a popular place with similar amenities and similar value pricing. If this new guesthouse sticks to its planned pricing, it will be the clear value leader in Corozal Town, just as Aguada is in Cayo. Daily rates are expected to be US$25 plus for two of the rooms, and US$32.50 for the master room. Weekly rates starting at US$157.50 and monthly rates starting at US$525 also are available. It is owned by Darlene Bartlett, an American who has lived in Corozal for three years, and her husband, Mario Bovio, a Mexican. Lan Sluder, July 2001 Marvirton Guest House & Lounge, # 16, 2nd Street South, Corozal Town, tel. 501-4-23365, e-mail marvirton@btl.net. This new budget guest house in downtown Corozal has eight rooms, four with private bath. There’s no A/C but rooms have ceiling fans and cable TV. The 1960s vintage house has been charmingly renovated by the Belizean couple who own it, Anthony and Virginia Bradley. They provide what they note is a family atmosphere. A new pool, tiny but doubtless big enough to do the job on a hot day, is in a garden area behind the house, next to the restaurant and lounge. Rates are reasonable -- US$25 single or double in rooms with shared bath, and US$27.50 with private bath. Lan Sluder, July 2001 * (update) Casablanca by the Sea, Consejo Village, Corozal District, tel. 501-4-12018, e-mail info@casablanca-bythesea.com. If you usually end up needing a vacation from your vacation, consider this little inn at end of the road in Consejo Village, about 7 miles north of Corozal Town on the bay. Corozal Town is a delightful place with not that much to do, and Consejo Village (Consejo is Spanish for advice) is Corozal in slow motion. At Casablanca, there’s almost nothing to do, which at a certain time in one’s life is just the thing. There’s no pool, so you don’t need to feel guilty about not getting in your laps. There’s no beach (though local residents swim in the bay), so you don’t have to worry about getting the perfect tan. There are no phones in your room, and the TV, when I was there, got only a few fuzzy Spanish language channels from Mexico (though Casablanca does promise satellite TV and HBO.) You can just sit under a little palapa on the bay all day long and read, or retire to your room, air conditioned or not, as you please, and relax on a comfortable bed. At night, watch the twinkling lights of bustling Chetumal, capital of Mexico’s Quintana Roo state, across the bay. The staff, headed by manager Irvin Wade, who recently was voted head of the Corozal chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, Belize’s top hospitality industry group, is friendly but not at all pushy. The prices are equally unprepossessing, at US$55 double off-season for a cozy, stylish room with and air conditioning, or $10 less for a room with fan and bay breezes through the windows. All the rooms feature saltillo tile floors, custom-made furnishings of mahogany and other tropical woods, and stunning hand carved mahogany doors featuring Mayan themes. If you get bored, you can drive into Corozal Town for shopping (bananas, 16 or more for a buck) or for dinner (tacos, two for US 75 cents at Cactus Plaza) or a surprisingly fine French dinner for under US$10 at Café Kela. Or take a hike around Consejo Village, which takes 10 minutes. We don’t particularly encourage this sort of thing, but Type As can take a boat across the bay to the ruins of Cerros, or a shopping trip into Chetumal. A multi-million dollar six-story hotel, casino and shopping center, Galeria Maya, has been announced for a site on the Four Mile Lagoon near the Mexican border, about 16 miles from Casablanca by road, and another casino has been rumored for the Consejo area, but locals are taking bets the complexes never open. Owners, John and Beverly Tempe, the American couple who own this inn, might disagree, but the saving grace of this inn at the end of nowhere is its ability to put you to sleep, and to put the cares of the world behind you. Lan Sluder, July 2001
* Our first week of this three-week trip was spent at SMUGGLERS DEN in Consejo, a place familiar to us but we had not stayed there before ( our mistake). Clean and bug free with everything needed to do our own cooking. Ray and Rosa have three nice little units that I would recommend to anyone. We definitely plan on staying there again. Food at their restaurant, in our opinion, was excellent and inexpensive. Speaking of food we can't say enough for the restaurant and staff at Mayaland Villas in San Ignacio. There also, the food was very good and reasonably priced. The owners, Sandra and Eduardo Aguilar are great people and real professionals. We rate their place right up there with the best. (Excellent workmanship went into their units) ... Your four star rating of Green Hills Butterfly Farm was also right on, we definitely enjoyed that visit. The dirt (well graded) road from Corozal to Consejo was in good condition, at least this trip. Our past two trips we rented our car from the GOMEZ brothers out of Orange Walk. (Freddy and Wilfredo) Wilfredo is an excellent mechanic and has a repair shop in town. They may only have a car or two to rent but their rates can't be beat, e.g., $35US a day. both times we had good cars with A/C and radio. Ford Crown Victorias solid and in good repair. They will meet you at the airport and pick the car up at the airport, no extra charge. If you have trouble (we didn't) just call them and one will come with another car. Paper work? There is none. Deposit? None required. They hand you the keys and give you their phone number. Really nice people. Their number, 03-22037. I continue to be amazed at the amount of (accurate) detailed information you are able to publish. Don't know how you do it but we certainly appreciate it; Makes traveling to and around Belize a piece of cake. George Forrest, Delray Beach, Florida, January 2001
* Was at the Miami International Airport for 7:30 a.m. which turned out early. Round trip ticket is US$316.14 to Cancun. Got into Cancun around noon my time, but turned out I had to turn my watch back an hour. There is a yellow shuttle from the airport and for US$9 it took me to the Cancun bus station which is on the mainland. The hotel strip is a limestone ridge and sand bar. I've only seen this strip from my sailboat before, coming down close on the shallow water at the beach, to avoid the north going strong Gulf Stream current. The shuttle took me on a big circle. Hotel guests were first and there are two causeways onto the hotel strip. The airport is on the mainland. We circled around and along the strip, then back the other side of the lagoon to the mainland and into the town of Cancun, about 8000 people I would guess. My bus left about an hour later for Chetumal. Fare was US$14 and it was a second class bus, .20 cents to use the toilet, they actually had an attendant and a turnstile in the station, 2nd class bus simply meant we stopped for people along the road. It was comfortable and airconditioned. They call the stretch for 50 miles down to Tulum, the Mayan fort, the Mayan Riveria. Sort of like north of Ft. Lauderdale on the Gold Coast. It is a narrow strip on which hotels are hidden from the coast road, but have gated entrances to the coast road. All this was barren scrub land last time I came down the ocean side. Lot of construction and everything concrete. Many abandoned half built homes of dreams gone bust. Several small towns of a couple thousand we stopped at. All dependent on tourism. There is Akumel, Xchela and Tulum. These I know from the seaward side, before this coast got developed. I wouldn't say there is a real lot of development though it might seem so to some. Cancun was the Spring Break 20 year old crowd, plane was loaded of young people. Lot of tourists were taking the bus up and down the road. After Bahia Ascunsion the road goes inland. There was a nice little agriculture town has a nice atmosphere. Don't know the name, but central Plaza and very Mexican. the Yucatan is very dry and at one place I saw a dozen water tanker trucks lined up. So the tourist industry must be having water problems.
Chetumal bus station was the same as I remember and Chetumal itself. No change there. I had to walk outside the station and down to the corner where a supemarket is and I caught the 6:30 p.m. Novelo bus to Corozal. Price US$3 My Cancun to Chetumal run was about 6 hours, the plane flight was around 2 hours, counting the setting of the time back an hour. In Corozal I phoned Peter Singfield and he picked me up. Filled his gas tank for US$10 and he took me to Sam Riggs' place, the guy with the Cessna 150 on Consejo Shores. Very nice, but it was dark and I didn't see much. Peter's Volkswagon Rabbit was something out of the Dukes of Hazard re-runs, I swear we were dragging the engine on a cable underneath the car going down the road. Couldn't see out of passenger side window as it was starred and crazed from some impact at some time. It runs and has seats, otherwise that is about all you could say for Peter's car. Sam my host, had been phone disconnected for three days, but was very gracious and put me up for the night. He has an 8 yr old daughter and a one year old son, bunch of friends and very nice rented home in Consejo Shores. First time I am seeing this place. It is on Chetumal Bay and faces the breezes, but the water is shallow and clear. Expensive real estate I am told, more than Florida real estate prices. Corozal town center has had all the two story wooden houses replaced by concrete ones. Nice ones too. Anybody says that things are bad in Corozal is nuts. There were some old wood buildings on the outskirts. Otherwise Corozal is still the same. Passed the FREE ZONE in the dark, it was all lit up. Not that big, but big enough I guess. It is to the EAST of the road to Santa Elena and smack dab on the river and road. Seemed like a lot of lines of bumper to bumper cars, getting gasoline. I was under the assumption, Belizeans shop at the supermarkets in Chetumal and Chetumal people buy their gasoline in the FREE ZONE. There were a few shops and other buildings, but seemed deserted at 7 p.m. at night. Anything helps I guess, so the FREE ZONE has it's economic impact even if it is small. At least in jobs. I rather think making the Toledo District a FREE ZONE would have more overall national impact on building the nation of Belize. Got to sleep about 11 p.m. and up at 5 a.m. with the birds. Nice jungle sounds, better than my Miami Jungle morning tape. But I am going to need a nap this afternoon, as things catch up to this couch potato. Already getting warm around here. Sam has been the gracious host, since we are strangers that is very nice. Has two nice kids. My trip in the plane scheduled for today to Big Creek for Sam and then Punta Ycaicos for me, got put off until Monday morning. Sunday and family day Sam said. The change of plan took me by surprise, as if I had known ahead, could have used a couple of days visiting other people. Gone to Caye by Maya Airlines and visited with kids and grandkids, or to Belmopan until Monday. Oh well! Can't cry over spilled milk and this IS Belize. Called Peter to come and pick me up and currently seeing the old boat he bought that I built out of fiberglass, another boat he is converting to a cargo hull and it was nice to sit on upturned boat hulls by the now old burned out Capri Hotel in Corozal under the coconut trees and shoot tall stories with shipwrights and young fishermen about the old days before they were born. Peter took me to see various lands for sale in the area and filled my head full of quick GET RICH schemes. We stopped at the SMUGGLER'S DEN and had a nice chat with the young Canadian that owns it and talked about land and other things. Pots and pans, incense and the frankinsense trade and so forth. Lot of hot air, but a pleasant way to spend a Sunday. Then on to Peter's house and more real estate in the Patchakan, Xaibe area. Peter's place is definitely Belizean. Lot of fun, and felt relaxed with all the tales of struggles and artisian wells, tree plants and schemes of making plantations of rare oil plants and so forth. Had rice and beans and chicken cooked with coconut oil for lunch. The flavors were great and brought back fond memories. Been living on hamburgers and french fries since I got here, mostly. Peter and I got in to a few debates in which we disagreed which were fun. At the moment I'm using his computer. The only thing I recognize is the monitor. The rest of the table is wires and computer parts and reminds me of my young days as a HAM RADIO operator. But it works, so it's a mess, what the hell! Expect to get back to Sam's place by dark and hopefully an early morning flying start in the morning. If not, WELL it is Belize after all. The bus will do. Would like to have enough days left of the trip to do some enquiries around the Belmopan area and Cayo then off to the Cayes to visit with my kids and grandkids for three days I hope. Must go by bus to Cancun on Monday, I think it is, and sleep overnight there on the 2nd in Cancun and off on my flight back to Miami on the 3rd. Looking at all the abandoned Taiwanese investments, real estate and buildings in the northern area. Not sure what happened, but the rumor I got, was they pulled up stakes and moved to Panama City in Panama. I've lost track of the days, but they tell me it is Wednesday. Monday, Peter took me from Xaibe to meet Sam Riggs at the airport for the trip in his Cessna 140 around the country at Corozal. Fortunately, the plane has the engine STC'd for ordinary automobile gasoline and throughout the trip, we simply took a taxi to the local gas station and bought PREMIUM gasoline from the pump and hand poured it into the wing tanks from a 5 gal container. The trip down to Big Creek was uneventful. There was quite a bit of what looked like Mennonite farm development taking place to the East of the northern Highway that we flew over. That land floods like hell in the rainy season, so I sure hope they know what they are doing? There was a big airstrip on the side of the lagoon,or bay at one place, I understood was a private airstrip for Florencio Marin on some ranch, or estate or something. Coming down the coast, I never realized how many shrimp farm operations are already working. Since I did not count them, my guess would be well over a dozen such places, many more than I had heard about. At Big Creek the agricultural spray operations had been moved and we could not see any planes at the old location. But we found hangers overflying nearby Independence. So we stopped here. It was siesta time and only a guard was there. So we started to walk into town, but the wife of the BGA picked us up and delivered us to the Aviation managers house. He was having lunch, so we ate ourselves in a restaurant and at 2 p.m. when the siesta period was over, he picked us up. Sam got to talk to spray pilots or whoever,and look at the chemical drum labels and talk spray plane talk technicalties,which was his specialized field. From Independence a town of 5000 we flew on down to Punta Gorda. I think it was south of Monkey River there was a stretch of shoreside coastal water about a mile wide and 8 miles long that was prime lobster ground, sand and turtle grass. Probably could carry 50 to 150 lobster traps. We circled Punta Ycaicos. There were 4 buildings scattered on opposite sides of the anchorage. A ketch yacht was anchored in there, so it is a suitable anchorage. The land didn't look to appealing though, as it was from the air, just dry scrub. The location is good though for a tourist operation. However, in Punta Gorda, we found the locals had a speculation frenzy going on in real estate, based on assumptions that may not be valid at all, about the new highway paving going on. The Punta Ycaicos real estate asking prices had quadrupled and ridiculous, so scratch that development idea. My guess is that the real estate pricing bubble will collapse, but the locals are having a field day selling property, dreams and other crapola propoganda on the future of the area based on the highway. Far as I could see, Commerce in Punta Gorda and the Toledo District was DEAD. Slightly different since I last saw it maybe 25 to 30 years ago, but unchanged. Some growth, but very small really. Forest Home had grown. Punta Gorda Town had doubled, or possibly tripled in size, which is not saying very much when you talk about around 10,000 people. People were asking and claimed were actually getting prices for real estate higher than in Miami, Florida and more expensive than Miami Beach. Think I will wait for the bubble to break myself and invest in cheaper Florida. There is nothing in Toledo? Some work and knowledge could make a transient bak pak tourism industry, but the locals are overpricing everything and don't have a clue as how to deal with what they have. The local tourist board I was told were dead bodies and the cooperation they were getting out of the head office in Belize City sucked. Usual Belize City civil servant inefficiency from the communication complaints and servicing delays I heard from residents in complaints. Punta Gorda and the Toledo District is about where Caye Caulker was in the 1970's. They will learn, but it is going to take another 8 to 15 years I would think. Unless somebody from Caye Caulker comes in with experience to speed up the process. Lot of infighting going on in such a small population base. I was extremely pleased with Mil Mahier's TIDE operation. The guy is single, at the right age and full of vim and vigor and smart. Considering a few years ago, he lost his job with a California Grant Funded project when it lost it's funding and we at the Belize Development Trust told him to get off his ass and start his own NGO. Of which part of our Development Issues, we had taken NGO information and GRANT sources and put them on the Belize Electronic Development and Resources Library to assist locals to do just that. It still takes initiative and hard work to do so. Well Wil did it. Extremely well in fact. He has done more with less and accomplished a lot of equity building of which he is the boss to rival and actually exceed 80 % of the foreign based NGO operations in Belize. Got a fancy late model pickup, supplied by a Foundation. Computer, real estate, buildings, a boat and all that stuff. He is of course the envy of a whole lot of jealous locals, but employing 16 productive Toledo people is no easy task. Wil is a Belizean success story I was very proud of. The other local eco business local I met was Chet at Chet's guest house, NATURE'S WAY. We had a long chat. While Toledo is at the stage, they need people like Chet to push things with village guest houses and such. At least half of the stuff he is talking about has already been done numerous times in the northern half of Belize by different groups and I felt he was trying to reinvent the wheel. Any talk of him joining the Belize Culture List was waved off by him. From which I gathered he is in to trying to make money off development like Wil's NGO as a sideline business and wants no inputs that might weaken his operations. It will work for a few years, but probably down the line, as the villagers get smart, they will eventually dump him, when they no longer need his leadership. Sort of like Tony Vega story, the starter of the Northern Fishermans Cooperative. Whereas Wil's TIDE operation will continue to satisfy a need and condition for years to come. Chet's Guest House was nice. Except for mosquitos biting the heck out of us, until midnight. He should be required to offer the option of drop down muslin nets for each bed in that district. Should be a mandatory licensing requirement with maleria considerations to think of. As I said, the locals were pushing Punta Gorda and Toledo real estate at crazy prices. We flew out of there the next morning. Went direct over the mountains in the background. That is very rough country. Cockscomb country. Hills and pockets like Pennsylvania or Jamaica. Geography like a brain. We tried to get direct to Caricom but went into Guatemala and missed it. Coming back we cut the road from the north but the half hour to back track to Caricom was not worth it. On to Baldy Beacon and all over the Pine Ridge. The damage is total! The pine forests are dead all over, nothing left. Flew the 1000 ft falls and found another one, I think at the head of Caves Branch Valley. That is a beautiful operation farm operation in Caves Branch. Found two or three hills suitable for a glider tourism niche sport aviation port, but no obvious way to get a road up there. They were in the vicinity of Caves Branch and back up to the next range of hills. Good updrafts and we felt the turbulence in the Cessna 140. Hitched a bus from the Belmopan Airport to government center in Belmopan and from there phoned Terry's workers at Camolote. They came in a van. Bit late by an hour as apparently they were running errands of their own, but very nice and cooperative. We filled the tank with gasoline and went hunting for Jim Black. Found his sister at Caves Branch Lodge for Ian Anderson. Sue and I reminisced and then we went to Jim's place just past the Blue Hole. He has 25 acres or something of fruit trees over grown with jungle he has been clearing back out. Seeing Jim age, was a shock. As he is 10 years older than me, not something to look forward to. Same thing, with Emory King, bumped into him and he looked like hell. God, hope I don't look like those two fellas in ten years. We saw Terry's place. Took some photo's. Then on to the plane and out to Caye Caulker. The Caye from the air looked terrible with no trees and those there dead. Lot of building up. Becoming more congested. A few new roads, but more the case of more buildings being squeezed into the limited available space. The new beach repair is fabulous. Changes things a lot and a big tourist improvement for the future. The industry definitely needed that. I understand that $300,000 of Malaysian Dwarfs are to be imported for Caye Caulker. If it takes as long as the Beach Repair did after Hurricane Fifi, it won't happen in my lifetime. ( your listening Belmopan?) Belmopan is growing. It is about 2 to 3 times the size of 8 years ago. Most obvious from the air. Sam saw the potential and I think if his lease purchase for the Consejo Airstrip is not approved quickly now, he may try to relocate to Belmopan,if he can get 25 to 50 acres alongside the airstrip and the right to be the FBO for the airport. Then he can build the airport up, like he did the County airport in Oklahoma. Those are Sam's problems though and that of the political big wigs in Belmopan. Resting in Caye Caulker today Wednesday. Took a swim off the dock this morning and catching up with Tina. Wendy had left for Washington, D.C. and Diane is due here from Minnesota on Friday, I understand. Too much partying around here for an old man. This is a young persons world here, not mine anymore. I'll jot down things as I remember them. MANGROVES! There are few mangroves left. In the overflight of the country and coast, Caye Caulker, San Pedro, and all along the coast and most noticably by the many dozen or more shrimp farms, there are not mangrove protection filtration systems left. Land is being bulldozed and filled and graded at a stupendous rate on islands and coastline all over Belize. If there is an environmental department it is either a joke, or a political machine to be used politically to harass selected individuals, but following the law is not one of it's functions. At least in regard to mangrove protection. GREEN PARKS and CONSERVATION areas. Not sure what the terms were with locking up the forest areas, but I was told and this is not confirmed that one of their contract items was to establish sustainable agriculture as part of their concessions. Far as I could see, could not find a single such reserved park area in Belize doing that. Might have missed some, but not from what I saw from the air, or was told. CHIQUIBUL FOREST AREA. Guatemalan farmers have the land cleared for hundreds of squares miles right up to the border line and probably over it, all along our supposedely wild untrammeled jungle border. Easy to tell when you where in Guatemala byu small plane. We had got blown to far west and were over farm land. Belize is expensive and so is Mexico. On a comparison with Florida. In Mexico, the tourist areas were 1 and a half times to three times as expensive as Florida. In the back away ordinary people Mexican areas, prices were on a par with Florida for ordinary Mexicans. I bought the Mexican newspapers and Car's, apartment rentals and so on, were on a par with costs in Florida. It is very expensive to be a Mexican these days. In Belize I spent $650 total USA for my in country trip. In Mexico I got $20 USA billed to death. Everything was more or less $20 USA dollars, whether it was a cheap Posada room rent, or a Music CD, Seemed like the standard refrain was $20 USA. A little cheaper in Belize but not much. The buses were cheaper and fair value. Most things cheaper than Mexico, from room rent onwards, but the quality was noticably lower also. Mexico was so clean and Belize was a dirty dump. Novelo's bus stations were dirty places in Belize City, Orange Walk, Corozal and Chetumal in comparison to Mexican bus stations. In Mexico the cleaning teams were constantly cleaning behind the passengers. In Belize they must only do it once a day. Belize City had not changed at all in ten years. Oh yes, there is the traffic island and passenger overpass, a few modern hotels on the water front and the highway, but still essentially Belize City is still a 1920's Louisiana coastal shanty town. Filthy too, comparing it to Mexican streets, roads and houses. Ray Auxillou, Miami, Florida, 2001 * HOK'OL K'IN GUESTHOUSE, Corozal Town. Contact: P.O. Box 145, Corozal Town, tel. 501-4-23329, fax 4-23569, e-mail maya@btl.net. I arrived at Hok'ol K'in after a long, hot day on buses from Playa del Carmen, México. The first thing I did was grab a cold Belikin from the cooler (honor system), sit in the open-air patio and enjoy the breezes from Chetumal Bay. Real nice! Hok'ol Kin, Yucateca Maya for Coming of the Rising Sun, is one of the good things about Corozal. It's a small, modern two-story motel across the street from the water, just a couple of blocks from the town center, owned by Marty Conway, a former teacher and U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, and her Belizean business partner Francisco Puck, with friendly help from family members. At US$45 for a double, Hok'ol K'in is a very good value, and the tours and trips offered through the hotel also offer excellent return on your travel investment. No A/C here, but the winds off the bay keep things cool most of the time. There's a TV room and a small restaurant with good food and good prices. You're within walking distance of most points of interest in town. If you're coming from Mexico or exploring this little-visited part of Belize, this is a fine place to stay. Hok'ol K'in gets a good deal of business from European visitors and from groups in the country on medical, archeological and ecological missions. Lan Sluder, BELIZE FIRST, July 1998
* I wanted to let you know that I think the BELIZE FIRST lists and articles are on-target. HOK'OL K'IN is a nice place. The owners, the Conways, are just super with their information and help. I sure hope that this is a successful venture. They set us up with the Novelo Brothers for the Lamanai trip, a trip to Cerros, and gave us endless amounts of information at no additional charge. Ron Hay, Orient, Ohio, January 1998* I spent five or six days at HOTEL MAYA in Corozal Town. Rooms reasonable, food so-so. The sisters Rosita and Sylvia were friendly and helpful, as also was Dave, a plumber and jack-of-all-trades. These people sit down and have coffee with you, tell things about Belize and Corozal that aren't in guide books. On two occasions we stayed at TONY'S. The rooms were very good, the food was good, but to me it seemed kind of sterile. Not unfriendly but definitely not as friendly as other places where we stayed or ate. People did their jobs but that extra something wasn't there. That especially stood out in Corozal Town, where I thought the people were the nicest, most helpful, and friendly of anywhere we were (besides Corozal, we were in Belize City, Placencia, Belmopan, and Orange Walk.) I should also mention that in Corozal Town Henry Menzies, his wife, and his brother-in-law were helpful in every way possible. Richard L. Closson, Gordon, Wisconsin, January 1997
* We thought you would like to hear about a sweet little hotel, CASABLANCA- BY-THE-SEA, in Consejo overlooking the Bay of Chetumal. We have just come back from Belize, having spent three weeks there. For 10 days in the middle of our holiday we hired a car and tried to see as much of the country as possible. Nothing was pre-booked, we would just look at the map, find a hotel symbol and off we'd go. One such expedition took us to Corozal, and out the other side, to Consejo. We were looking for the Adventure Inn, which was recommended in one of our guide books, but when we found it, it was very obviously closed. A quick tour of Consejo didn't look very promising -- a sleepy little village with a customs post and little else. However, a second circuit of the village (it doesn't take long!) revealed a small modern hotel nestling in the bougainvillea. Yes, of course they had a room for a couple of nights. We chose a first floor room with A/C, and while it was being made ready, sat on the terrace with cold beers admiring the view across the bay to Chetumal. It is a very tranquil spot, with a small harbour and good swimming from the end of the pier -- perfect for relaxing. The staff couldn't be more helpful or courteous, even accommodating our vegetarianism in the restaurant. We had a great time there. Jacqui Henderson & Stephen Tyler, June 1998, London, England
* After a two years of research and preparation I've traveled to Corozal Town for an extended stay. My purpose for coming was to find a slower pace of life. A few months ago I was seeking the current phone number of the COROZAL CENTRAL GUESTHOUSE. Now that I am here I found that it has a new proprietor, a man from Pakistan, Gulzar Rana, who likes to go by the name John. His new phone number is 501-4-22358 and fax number is 4-23335. There is also an e-mail address -- cghczl@yahoo.com. He currently does not have a computer, but will soon have one to offer e-mail access. There are also plans in the works to get a Web page on the www.corozal.com web site. Those needing access to the internet can go to the local DHL office across from the Atlantic Bank. The rate to surf the net is US$9 an hour. They also offer mail drop, fax and copying services. Speaking of banks, when a non-Belizan wants to open a bank account here, he now must provide a letter of reference from his current bank in the U.S. When I first arrived I stayed in a cabaña at the CARIBBEAN VILLAGE. Except for the noise from the Northern Highway the area is quiet. The cabaña was basis with two beds and a hot shower. HALLEY'S RESTAURANT is currently closed. The best restaurant that I have found in Corozal is CAFE KELA that is across the street from the bay on First Avenue about one-forth mile north of the museum. It has only five tables and the lady who prepares the meals has lived in France. The variety, quality and prices are all good, only the portions are smaller than what you would expect in the U.S. Alan Pasho, Corozal Town, Belize, February 1999
* HOTEL MAYA, P.O. Box 112, Corozal Town, Belize; tel. 501-4-22082; fax 4-22827. In Corozal Town, across the street from the Bay. Rates: US$21.50 for basic ground-floor double; US$29.50 for nicer second-floor room with bay view. Plus tax. Belizean-owned small hotel. Owns by Rosita Menzies and Sylvia Hamill (said to be nice folks.) Variety of rooms, clean but fairly basic, some with fans only, others with A/C and satellite TV. Restaurant usually open for breakfast only. Lan Sluder, BELIZE FIRST
* TONY'S INN & BEACH RESORT, P.O. Box 12, Corozal Town, Belize; tel. 501-422055, fax 4-22829. Rates: US$45 (moderate) to $60 (deluxe rooms) double, May 1 to Dec. 31; US$50-$70 Jan. 1 to Apr. 30. Plus tax and 10% service. An old favorite in Corozal, at the south of town on the bay. Pleasant motel, with some of country's coldest air conditioning in the deluxe rooms. Nice palapa bar on the water. Cable TV, telephones. Lobby and restaurant area newly built. My family and I had a good, though expensive, meal here in July 1998. Tony's charged me BZ$34 to do a small load of wash-and-fold laundry. That's close to outrageous, given that a maid's wage in Corozal is only BZ$20 or $25 for a full day. Oh, well. Would I go back? Yes. Lan Sluder, BELIZE FIRST, July 1996, July 1998
Ambergris Caye Reader Updates
Caye Caulker Reader Updates
Reader Reports on Other Islands
Central Belize:
Belize City Reader Updates
Belize District Reader Updates
Northern Belize/Yucatán:
Corozal District Reader Updates
Orange Walk District Reader Updates
Yucatán, México
Western Belize/Guatemala:
Cayo/Mountain Pine Ridge Reader Reports
Belmopan Area Reader Updates
Tikal Reader Updates
Southern Belize:
Dangriga Reader Updates
Hopkins/Sittee Point Reader Updates
Placencia Reader Updates
Punta Gorda Reader Updates
Other:
Transportation & Tours Reader Updates
Belize First Home Page